


Golden Tears and Shared Hearts

by thegrimshapeofyoursmile



Series: YoI Dragon AU [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragon!Yuri, M/M, dragon!viktor, dragonhunter!Otabek, mechanic!Mila, otayuri - Freeform, shapeshifter!Yuuri, viktuuri, witch!Georgi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 07:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13382658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegrimshapeofyoursmile/pseuds/thegrimshapeofyoursmile
Summary: Viktor is winter, Yuuri knows that very well. He is the howl of the winter winds, the bite of frost, the gentleness of freshly fallen snow, the clarifying beauty of ice, the deadliness, the stillness, the peace. Yuri means everything to them both, but there is no going against nature; when summer has ended and autumn has finished painting and claiming all the leaves, Viktor is not going to leave his mountains until spring. Yuuri does not mention that they do not even know whether Yuri is still alive. He does not mention that he dreams of Yuri covered in red and screaming, scales being ripped off his skin, eyes gouged out to use them for potions, claws and horns for health and virility. He does not mention it because he knows that Viktor thinks of these possibilities as well when he fails to divert his thoughts to something more manageable.“Tomorrow we’ll leave and start looking for him,“ he says instead and for the moment it is enough to ease the pain on Viktor’s golden-streaked smile.////Viktor and Yuuri go on a search for their youngling.





	Golden Tears and Shared Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [siberianchan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siberianchan/gifts).



> FINALLY managed to write part two of my Dragon AU! This took quite a while. I recommend reading the first part, otherwise you might find some parts of this story quite confusing.
> 
> Enjoy!

Viktor has been crying for hours, crying and crying until his tears rolled across the entire mountains he has claimed as their home, but now he is quiet from exhaustion. There is something heartbreaking about a quiet, subdued Viktor and Yuuri tries to console him as best as he can, ignoring that he himself is aching all over as well.

“We will find him, Vitya,“ he murmurs soothingly, gently licking over the delicate silver scales behind Viktor’s ear as he snuggles closer so that their wings rest against each other. Viktor makes a snuffling noise and turns into him, pushing his snout underneath Yuuri’s chin in an attempt of seeking comfort like a lost child. It is difficult to remember how old Viktor really is sometimes – that he has watched humanity and other forms of life for centuries now, that there should be nothing that can affect him so much anymore. And yet, Yuuri knows no other person that loves life and all its facets so much like his lover; it is part of the reason why he fell for him in the first place.

The tears drip down onto the floor again, fat drops of molten gold; Dragonian‘s tears are rare and expensive and distantly Yuuri wonders what humans would do to get only a few of them in their endless greed. For him, the gold only pains him and he licks across Viktor’s face in another attempt to soothe him. 

“I should have taken him serious,“ Viktor sniffles, “I should have listened to him. He is still so small – barely a few decades old, a baby, I should have been more careful. I should have listened to him!“

“You did listen to him, we both did,“ Yuuri murmurs, “He is just hot-headed and young. He would have flown away no matter what you said, I’m sure of it. You know Yuri – if he has his mind set on something, he won’t let go until he gets it.“

“We should have come with him“, Viktor says and there is so much truth in it that Yuuri swallows down the soothing, empty words he could offer. Viktor likes nothing more than to be coddled, but he is in no mood to be fooled. “We need to find him before winter starts, my love.“

Viktor is winter, Yuuri knows that very well. He is the howl of the winter winds, the bite of frost, the gentleness of freshly fallen snow, the clarifying beauty of ice, the deadliness, the stillness, the peace. Yuri means everything to them both, but there is no going against nature; when summer has ended and autumn has finished painting and claiming all the leaves, Viktor is not going to leave his mountains until spring. Yuuri does not mention that they do not even know whether Yuri is still alive. He does not mention that he dreams of Yuri covered in red and screaming, scales being ripped off his skin, eyes gouged out to use them for potions, claws and horns for health and virility. He does not mention it because he knows that Viktor thinks of these possibilities as well when he fails to divert his thoughts to something more manageable.

“Tomorrow we’ll leave and start looking for him,“ he says instead and for the moment it is enough to ease the pain on Viktor’s golden-streaked smile.

/////

They leave the mountains as dragons, but when they reach the foot of them, they take their time to turn. It is only natural to Yuuri, who has to shift every now and then anyways when his dragon skin starts to itch from its overuse, and so he does not give a thought to it. It has been a while since he has been a human, but he is quite fond of this skin; after all, it is the one Viktor has fallen in love with for the first time. Sometimes he shifts into it and they dance on the ice that Viktor blows across their lake in the mountains.

Viktor is old and powerful and he has the purest Dragonian blood possible, so when he uses his human appearance it is almost flawless: no wings, no horns or tail, yet even he cannot fully betray his true self. His hair is as silvery as his scales in the morning sun and his eyes are too blue, his teeth too sharp to be human. There is an ethereal glow around him, the one that made Yuuri think he was a forest spirit way back when they first met, and the smile he throws at Yuuri is heart-shaped. He knows that Viktor probably thinks of their first encounter as well because he leans down to sweep Yuuri into his arms and kiss him.

“Do you remember,“ he murmurs and it is not really a question, but Yuuri laughs and answers anyways and says, “Yes“. He leans into the touch of cool fingers, cool lips and a cool nose rubbing against his cheeks and he finds it difficult to remember how he could have ever hated the cold because the only thing that comes to his mind is how he started to love it. 

He thinks of their youngling with ache in his heart and allows himself to be held for a while; he feels that Viktor needs it, too.  
Afterwards, Yuuri dresses himself and wrestles Viktor into clothes, which he hates and deems completely unnecessary even after Yuuri has reminded him of human shyness about nakedness, and then they start to wander. They know the mountains and the forest like the back of their hands, but is has been centuries since they have been to human settlements. Yuri has never known anything else but Viktor’s territory, has been born and raised in it, and in a way Yuuri thinks that his curiosity for the world outside might have been another reason why he has left. They should have known. They should have thought of it, but both of their curiosity for the world and its offers has been thoroughly sated a long, long time ago; now everything they need is each other. Dragonians usually do not bond for life, but Viktor is unusual in every way. However, Yuuri belongs to a species that has always bonded with someone until death; he is glad that fate brought him to Viktor. 

When Viktor starts complaining about the impracticality of human feet and shoes, Yuuri shifts into the skin of a black horse and carries him. They make their way to the border of Viktor’s territory more quickly like that and Yuuri mostly follows Viktor’s lead because he knows that his lover has finer senses. Yuuri only ever is able to do what the skin he wears can do, but Viktor, Viktor is always what he is and there are no sharper senses than a Dragonian‘s. In a way he is grateful that this skin does not offer the possibility to talk to Viktor because that way he has a reason not to voice his concern about never finding Yuri’s trail if he has flown all the way. He hopes he has not, but there is no way to tell. Yuri is hot-headed, even more so when he is emotional; their warnings might not have registered with him. Worry sits like a deep, hard cloud of blackness in his belly and urges him to run faster, guided by Viktor’s fingers in his mane.

/////

Over the years Yuuri has forgotten what Viktor is like on foreign territory, but for someone who knows him as well as Yuuri does, the change outside of his borders is immediate and undeniable. In a way that is hard to describe he is sharper around the edges, more focused and intent; Yuuri wonders whether he is worried about leaving their home unguarded, but he does not ask. 

When night falls, he rests curled up as a black rat against the roots of a tree because he wishes to be small while Viktor goes hunting for them in his true form. For all his giant size he can move as silently and deadly as a cat, and he is agile like one as well. It is perhaps that factor that makes him so dangerous; people often underestimate how quick a big Dragonian can be and usually they are too dead to regret their mistake afterwards.

Viktor brings back a doe that they share and Yuuri shifts into his black dragon skin before he licks the blood from both their snouts, earning affectionate licks against his chin and ears that make him shudder in ticklishness. Viktor breathes frost and ice, not fire, so Yuuri does it for him and they curl around the makeshift fireplace, around each other, to keep themselves from loneliness and sadness.

It is after a long while that Viktor admits, “I can’t smell him. The world is such a big place, I don’t know how we can find him.“  
“But maybe I do,“ Yuuri says after a while and they gaze at each other for a long, long moment before he softly adds, “We could see a witch about it.“

“A witch!“ Viktor exclaims, flabbergasted. “He’s not our blood, Yuuri. A witch won’t be able to use it to find him.“

“There are other ways,“ Yuuri gently insists, “A witch can use other ways than blood to find him. I’d go to a White witch anyways. We can bring them a baby tooth or a baby scale. We can give them memories. Let’s see a witch. Or do you have a better idea?“

Viktor still does not look entirely convinced, but Yuuri can see the moment he relents and shifts into his human skin to kiss his snout. “Change,“ he murmurs, “Then kiss me. And then let’s go. We don’t have any time to waste.“

/////

The witch takes one long look at them and immediately knows what they are. He is a seemingly young man who could be centuries old without them knowing, a man with a sullen face and streaks of black coal around his eyes, and Yuuri smiles at the rich, purple color of his often-mended clothes. It is not enough to shake Viktor out of his focused search for their youngling; he propels towards the witch with a smile that is all teeth and coldness. And the witch immediately knows the danger of something that is old and not above using everything he can to get what he wants; he takes a cautionary step further towards the little hut behind him, towards where the center of his power probably is located.

“Our youngling is missing,“ Viktor informs him, showing even more teeth. There is a billow of frost emitting from him and both Yuuri and the witch shiver slightly. How maddening it must be for him, Yuuri thinks suddenly, to be so old and powerful and yet so utterly helpless and at someone else’s mercy at the same time. His heart heaves with sympathy and he walks up to them, links their arms and calms Viktor with his close proximity. It is probably because of this that Viktor sounds a little less deadly when he says, “You will find him for us and I will let you live.“

Either the witch has a strong desire to die or he is more powerful than he lets on because he calmly replies, “I need more than that. Even I need to live from something – and I need more information as well.“

“He is young,“ Yuuri says quickly before Viktor can open his mouth and spit some more thinly-veiled poisonous words to scare the witch into submission. “He has golden scales with a sort of greenish hue – and he is small for a dragon because he is still very young. Uhm, his human form-“ At this, his mind blanks a little because it is so long that he has last seen Yuri’s human form and so for some moments he scrambles for words before he finally says, “He has blond hair. And green eyes. And wings, and a tail – he’s too young to be able to fully transform yet.“

“Oh, Gods,“ the witch unexpectedly groans, “Pretty sure I have seen him. He came here with a-“ At this he coughs a little before he continues, “-a perfectly innocent huntsman, a human. A few days ago?“ He silently counts on his fingers before he nods to himself. “Yes. Four turns of the sun ago. They wanted me to help them… I think your youngling has been injured, there was a wing missing on his tail. Not by the huntsman, though! He offered a limb to heal him, but your youngling refused.“

Yuuri, stunned by the news, only gapes, his head swimming with words. Injured? A huntsman? Limbs? Yuri hates humans, hates them more than Viktor or Yuuri ever did; he blames them for the death of his biological parents and even though he always wanted to go see the world, he never was that keen on delving into human settlements. They took him there once or twice, of course they did – they had to, what with how close humans live to the borders of Viktor’s territory –, but Yuri never was terribly thrilled by them. And now this?

One look at Viktor tells him that he is furious, enough to entirely give up on antics. Instead he is very quiet and very calm, but the look on his face tells Yuuri impending murder. He sidles up to him and strokes his cheek, his neck, in order to soothe him. Viktor’s silvery scales start to shimmer on his skin, as if it was no longer able to contain him, ready to burst like a ripe fruit at any given moment. Yuuri kisses his earlobe and hums softly against his cheek. Viktor is by no means a violent person by nature, but there is always a certain kind of force behind everything he does.

“Where did they go?“ Viktor asks the witch, smiling wide with too many teeth. “Did you help him?“

“Your youngling didn’t want me to,“ the witch replies with a sigh and a shake of his head. “So I sent him to my friend Mila. She is a mechanic – she makes artificial limbs for people who lost theirs, occasionally other stuff as well. I thought that maybe she’ll be able to help them out. Shall I point you in her direction?“

“By all means, please do,“ Viktor says.

/////

The breakdown comes later when they are both alone and night has descended her glittering dress upon them. This time, there is no molten gold dripping from Viktor’s eyes, but the shattered pieces of his sorrowful heart lay scattered all over the dark grass as he curls up against Yuuri and seeks for warmth. Yuuri has always been more of a crybaby than his lover and his heart bleeds and aches just the same, so he weeps for them both – loud and ugly in various forms. He cannot stop himself from shifting into another skin every minute, his nerves frazzled and his emotions all over the floor, and not even Viktor can comfort him enough to try to get it together. 

He thinks of Yuri shuffling on the floor, wings helplessly beating. He thinks of him bleeding in the dark, helpless, afraid, alone. They should have listened to him more carefully, Viktor is right about that. But also: they should have come with him to prevent him from harm. Something was bound to happen; the human kingdom close to Viktor’s territory has been all too keen to find something to weaken him for years now. They cannot be sure, but Yuuri still is quite convinced that it was them who shot Yuri from the sky and he knows that Viktor shares his sentiment. He does not want to think about the consequences, but he knows that it will be difficult to hold Viktor back from turning their kingdom into frost and snow. Perhaps Yuri will want to participate as well. Yuuri closes his eyes and shifts, and shifts, and shifts.

This time it is Viktor who gets him out of it by telling him that everything will be alright, that they will get Yuri back and that everything will be beautiful again, and Yuuri finally calms down in the early morning hours, shifts one last time into a mouse and falls asleep in Viktor’s ear from simple exhaustion. The last think he remembers is the way in which Viktor gently strokes his tiny body with one tender claw. 

/////

They locate the woman the witch has talked about, or rather: Yuuri shifts into the skin of a hound and gets on her trail with a scrap of fabric the witch hands them over after Viktor carelessly threw a lot of gold in his direction. Viktor complains the entire time about having to stay in his human form, but Yuuri is adamant about it; they cannot afford being reckless so close to human settlements and so far from Viktor’s territory, even if Viktor does not want to hear it.

She is a fiery thing with blue eyes and hair as red as crackling flames, her spirit bursting out of every pore on her skin. When she smiles at them, young and unafraid, some of her teeth are strangely glinting in the sun; it takes Yuuri a while until he realizes that they are coated with some sort of metal. There are dark smears of something he cannot identify all over her clothes and yellow goggles in her hair. Even Viktor seems to take a liking to her, even though she smells of smoke and metal and sulfur.

“Ah, yes, Yuri,“ she says amicably and nods after Yuuri has told her their story and asked her whether she had seen their youngling. He cannot help but be impressed of how at ease she seems to be; there is not a trace of fear on her. “The poor thing has lost a wing, but I’ve got the situation under control. I mean, somewhat at least.“

If there every was a time where Viktor seemed close to spitting fire, this would be it, Yuuri absentmindedly thinks. “ _Somewhat_?“

“Well, I constructed a new wing for him,“ Mila explains rather matter-of-factly and slightly cocks her head. “But it’s not completely perfected yet, you could say that it’s in the trial period. Would you like to wait for your – youngling? That is what you call him, right?“

“He’ll come back?“ Yuuri blurts out before Viktor can utter a word. “When?“

“Don’t know for sure, but he promised to fetch me my payment so that he gets the upgraded version of his prosthetic,“ Mila replies with a shrug. “Better to wait here than look around aimlessly in the world, right? I think he’ll come back in a few days at most. I can offer bedrolls, if you like. Oh, and there is a hot spring nearby, if you’d like to clean up.“

There is something odd in Viktor’s face, but it is nothing negative, so Yuuri does not worry too much, especially when his lover lapses into his Friendly Face and nods with a smile. “Yes, thank you. That is very generous of you.“

“No problem, darling,“ Mila says and smiles all sharp, glinting teeth.

/////

They are both visibly less tense when they sink into the hot spring, Viktor causing a huge waft of steam when he enters. It shows on Viktor’s face and Yuuri finds that he mirrors his lover’s soft smile without a problem. He shifts into the skin of an otter, sleek and black, and plays catch in the water with Viktor, slipping through his fingers again and again until Viktor finally snatches him for good and cradles him against his chest, laughing all the way.

There is nothing more infectuous than a hopeful Viktor and so Yuuri shifts back into his human skin without much thought and presses his lips against Viktor’s. They meet halfway, water clinging to their skin and hair, getting caught between their lips as they kiss and kiss. Viktor’s hands are on Yuuri’s skin, cool and smooth and soothing, and he arches up against them, panting. There is dizziness that makes his head spin and there is heat that pools low in his stomach when he finds his way between Viktor’s long legs with a gentle nudge. Viktor lets him without a single word of protest, body hard and pliant underneath Yuuri as he digs his claws into his back and moans, mouth falling open in silent ecstasy. He is vibrating against Yuuri, his eyes bluer than blue and far from human, and he groans like a dying man when Yuuri starts to finger him open with quick, merciless thrusts because by now he knows what his lover likes.

Yuuri shushes him with a kiss, another when he slips his fingers out and prays that Viktor will not be too tight for taking, but it turns out that he is not, he is not. On the outside he may be cold and hard like winter, but inside he is warm and open like spring. Yuuri breathes him in as he moves inside, clutching him closer when Viktor whimpers and makes too many noises, his magic finally spilling over the hard edges of his human skin, wings unfurling on his back with helpless trembles. They move together in a rhythm they have found decades ago, water sloshing around them, steam rising up high in the air. Underneath him, Viktor is beautiful and eternal and undone, and Yuuri his fluttering eyelids as his lover comes with a sharp, inhuman cry. He can feel the blood running down his back as Viktor digs his half-formed claws even deeper into his back, but he does not mind, not at all, instead continues to kiss him and kiss him and kiss him until he spills into him with a groan.

Later when they get out of the hot spring and Viktor has dutifully licked the blood off of Yuuri’s shoulders before breathing frost over them in order to close them, Yuuri asks him almost bashfully, “Do you ever think about getting another?“

“Another?“ Viktor replies absentmindedly as he dries them both of with the towels Mila has provided them with.

“Another youngling,“ Yuuri clarifies and watches his lover pause before he turns around. By now, Viktor has gotten hold of himself once more; the wings and claws have disappeared again and Yuuri almost misses them. “We could have another. Even of our own blood, maybe, if I shift into a female dragon… Not sure, though, we would have to try… But it doesn’t matter that much, does it – blood, I mean. Another orphan would be loved, too.“

There is something inexplicably wistful in Viktor’s face and Yuuri almost regrets his question, his eyes widening when Viktor moves to gently cradle his face between his hands and looks at him with deep, deep blue eyes and a smile.

“Yes, love,“ he says very softly, “I’d love to. Yes. We have all the time in the world for more younglings.“

/////

They wait for two days.

Yuuri does not mind waiting, especially since Mila ist an interesting person and tinkers with interesting, useful stuff, but Viktor has never been very patient to begin with and now he wants nothing more than see his youngling safe and sound.

That, and kill those responsible for his injury. 

Yuuri manages to somewhat talk him out of it. What good would it do, he asks him, to be like the humans and breed more hatred by killing some of them? As long as they do not trespass into Viktor’s territory – and they would never dare to –, there does not have to be bloodshed. Intimidation, yes, a display of power, that cannot hurt. And who is more intimidating and fearsome than Viktor? Stroking Viktor’s ego always helps; by the end of their talk he has visibly softened and agreed to a mere spreading of awe and terror. It is as good as it gets and Mila grins at both of them from behind her greasy goggles, visibly amused by Viktor’s dramatic antics. Yuuri cannot say that he blames her. 

And then, in the afternoon of the second day, they finally hear the beating of wings.

Viktor quickly gets up from where they were lounging on their bedrolls and all but drags Yuuri outside with him. Yuuri is grateful for it because his blood is pounding in his ears, one of his hands involuntarily clutching onto Viktor’s arm. There he is, their golden youngling, gliding through the air with a little less of his usual elegance, and Yuuri’s heart clenches at the sight –  
And then it stops when he spots the human on Yuri’s back. The saddle. The hooks and wires along his flank, connecting to his tail.

Yuuri breathes, and breathes, and breathes, and he cannot move, his fingers and legs will not move, and the blood rushing in his ears gets louder and louder, and he seeks for air where there seems to be none – and then everything comes tumbling down. There is not enough time – not enough time at all – he sees it happening, frozen as if he has turned to ice, and he watches as Viktor immediately drops his human form and turns into his real form and _lunges_.

He is big enough that he can just stand up on his hind legs and flap with his wings to reach for the human on Yuri’s back, trying to claw him out of the saddle with more ferociousness than Yuuri has ever seen him display. There is not much worse for a dragon than humiliation – Yuuri understands, and yet, and yet he is struck with horror at the situation. His fingers shake as he hears Yuri scream, not with relief, only with anger and pain, and he sees the way Yuri twists and turns his cover to protect the breakable human on his back – and suddenly he thinks: what if they had it all wrong?

His voice finds its strength again. “Viktor!“ he screams, but it is to no avail. Viktor does not hear him anymore, too focused on protecting his youngling to give a damn about what is happening around him. From the corner of his eye Yuuri spots Mila come out of the house and blocks her from doing so by literally shoving her inside again despite her protest. He has to do something, and quick, or the people he loves most will tear each other apart for nothing more than misunderstanding. So he has to shift into something larger and more powerful than a dragon. Something unknowable. Something ancient.

Viktor likes to forget that Yuuri has travelled far and wide before he met him, quietly collecting skins at every chance he gets. He has seen many things, spoken with many beings and learned from many people. He is not as old as Viktor, but he is ever-changing like water, and change is power. So he thinks of times long past and stretches, breaks out of his human skin into another, as effortlessly as a stream flowing over a river bed of stones. He grows, elongates, feels black new scales grow and feathers sprout between them, giant feathers on the end of his tail and around his face enough to make him rise from the ground. He rises into the air effortlessly, thrice as long as Viktor’s entire body, and strikes like lightning, wrapping his body around Viktor’s and squeezing, which forces the dragon back on the ground, growling and flapping with his wings in an attempt to free himself.

He has no chance.

Viktor is strong, but Yuuri is patient and simply adjusts to every move his lover makes. He hums low in his throat, an attempt to soothe him, calm him down, make him quiet. At their side, Yuri lands with uneven motions, the human on his back a blurry point in Yuuri’s big eyes. _Change_ , Yuuri tells him with his mind because this skin allows him to, and Yuri sniffs, growls, flaps his wings and does as he is told. He spits a fist-sized diamond into the grass and turns after the human has jumped off, shrinking into his small, slender human form with the wings and tail. 

_Don’t hurt our youngling_ , Yuuri thunders in Viktor’s head next and Viktor quietens, looks at him and huffs, looks at Yuri and wails. He wails and does not stop, causing the human to stagger behind Yuri because of the sound – and Yuuri sees him draw Yuri close to his chest, hiding his head safely against his shoulder, a silver sword on his hip half-drawn. Yuuri sees it all and tells Viktor to hush, cradling him more than crushing him now. Viktor sways in the hoops of Yuuri’s long body and cries, lost in his anguish for a long time. Yuuri lets him weep, soothes his pain and his relief as best as he can with broad licks across his face, looks at Yuri and the human and thinks, _We had it all wrong_. He also thinks, _Thank God he is alive_ , because that is the only thing that counts. He is alive and they are going to make sure that nothing will ever harm him again. One time is enough. 

/////

Later when all the drama, mostly Viktor’s, has ceased and some sort of discussion is possible in their humanoid shapes, they both curl up around Yuri and hold him close despite his half-hearted complains. It is painful to look at, but Yuuri forces himself to do so anyway: he looks at the missing wing on his tail, the stitches in his side, black and blue bruises along his back and throat and face. He looks at him and listens to the story Yuri tells him in a rush and with raised hackles while Viktor gets less and less agitated with every word from their youngling’s lips.

And still: when Yuri gets the chance, he gets up and climbs onto the human’s lap without batting an eyelash.

Yuuri has seen that look before. It is the exact same look Viktor has given him all these decades ago when he started courting him, before Yuuri even was aware of the fact that Viktor had initiated a courtship. Their youngling has his eyes set upon someone for the first time and it breaks his heart. Humans are so short-lived when compared to Dragonians … but then again, there are always ways if someone knew beings as powerful as Viktor, and to an extend himself. Yes, there are always possibilities, and he knows them well.

“So,“ he nevertheless adresses the human after a moment where he and Viktor watch his hand resting between Yuri’s shoulder blades like hawks. The boy is unfazed and calm in their presence, which might have something to do with the silver sword on the floor next to him that everyone in their room try their hardest to pretend is not there. What is more important to Yuuri is the way he looks at their youngling with silent awe, the way he holds him in his arms with startled, protective revere. “Otabek is your name?“

The boy nods, then hesitates. “I – I have never seen a changeling before, your skins are beautiful,“ he admits quietly and still so very calmly, but his eyes betray his very vivid fascination. Yuuri can see what exactly about Otabek appeals to his youngling and smiles to himself. Mila, tinkering with something in the background, almost breaks her neck in an attempt to appear as uninterested in the exchange as possible.

“I’ve collected a few of them over the years, many of them thanks to Viktor,“ he replies and briefly touches Viktor’s cheek with tenderness. “We have many interesting friends all over the world. Perhaps you will meet some of them after a while if you decide to stay with Yuri.“

Viktor gasps dramatically, which causes their youngling to roll their eyes while Yuuri smiles in silent amusement. Otabek’s eyes dart from him to Yuri, who blushes lightly and steadfastly avoids his gaze to pick at his nails. 

“I will stay as long as he wants me to,“ Otabek replies after a moment and gently touches Yuri’s shoulder with his fingertips. Yuuri and Viktor watch the light spread on their youngling’s face, warm and tender and open.

It breaks Yuuri’s heart anew. 

“Vitya,“ he says very softly, “Have a word with me, please?“

Viktor follows him, confused but eager. They walk for a while in silence, even though the questions are written so plainly in Viktor’s face. Finally, Yuuri says, “He will not last long, that boy. Time will take him away soon if we don’t do anything.“ He lifts his head and meets Viktor’s gaze. “We should teach Yuri how to share his heart.“

Viktor says nothing for a long while. “It’s dangerous,“ he says, “Irreversible. They will forever be tied to each other, their fates linked for as long as Yura breathes.“

Yuuri laughs. “You did the same with me. Do you regret it?“

“Never,“ Viktor says without hesitation and smiles. “No, never. You are right. We should give them the choice. He doesn’t have to go through with it right away, after all. They still have a little time where he can watch and observe.“

When they return to Yuri and Otabek, Mila having a break and happily slurping some sort of stew in the background, their youngling watches them with rapt attention. “What were you two talking about?“ he immediately demands to know.

Viktor leans forward and gently strokes one of Yuri’s wings until their youngling huffs and moves out of range, his face soft. It immediately hardens again when Viktor says without preamble, “Humans are short-lived. He will die quite soon.“ Before Yuri can erupt into a hissy fit, he quickly adds, “But you can help him. There is a ritual that would allow you to share your heart with him, your life. If you decide to follow through with it, he would live for as long as you breathe.“

“It is irreversible,“ Yuuri says and adresses both Otabek and Yuri, “It would connect you to each other for the rest of your lives. It means vulnerability and centuries together and it is a decision that shouldn’t be made quickly and lightly. Do you understand?“

Yuri’s eyes are very wide and very green. “He could live with me?“ he asks with a very small voice, “For the rest of my life?“

Oh, dragons, dragons and their possessiveness. Dragons and their beautiful, good, lonely hearts. Dragons and their love, their blinding, fiery, warm love that cannot be compared to anything else in the world. Yuuri smiles and entwines his fingers with Viktor‘s. “Consider it carefully.“

“Teach me,“ Yuri says to Viktor without missing a beat, his voice pleading as he shifts in Otabek’s arms. “I want to keep him forever.“

Viktor smiles knowingly and does exactly that.


End file.
